AN ACT relating to compulsory school age.
Amend KRS 159.010 to provide that, effective July 1, 2017, school attendance shall be compulsory for students between the ages of six and seventeen; provide that, effective July 1, 2018, school attendance shall be compulsory for students between the ages of six and eighteen; provide that only prior to July 1, 2018, parents are permitted to withdraw from school a child under the age of eighteen, under certain conditions; permit, beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, each local board of education on the recommendation of the superintendent and approval of the Kentucky Department of Education to require children residing in the school district's attendance area to attend school until the age of eighteen, except as provided in KRS 159.030; if funds are available, consider an increase in funding for dropout prevention programs; express intent to provide funds necessary to implement programs to comply with increased compulsory attendance age; amend KRS 159.020 to conform.

HFA (1/P, B. Montell) - Retain original provisions, except create new sections of KRS Chapter 160 to describe the intent of the General Assembly and the purposes of authorizing public charter schools; define terms; establish the Kentucky Public Charter School Commission and identify membership selection and responsibilities of members; outline the requirements and limitations on the establishment of charter schools including identification of charter school authorizers; describe responsibilities of authorizers; describe charter school application, renewal, and revocation processes; establish the Kentucky Public Charter School Commission trust fund and identify uses of the fund; require the commissioner of education to distribute charter school information to potential authorizers; create a new section of KRS Chapter 159 to identify student enrollment and withdrawal requirements to be followed by a charter school; create a new section of KRS Chapter 161 to identify employment conditions for charter school staff; create a new section of KRS Chapter 157 to require local, state, and federal funds to be distributed to charter schools using formulas and allocation processes used in noncharter schools; amend KRS 161.220 to include a teacher employed by a board of directors of a public charter school as a member within the state retirement system and to include employees of boards of directors of public charter schools in the state-sponsored retirement system; amend KRS 78.510 to include noncertified employees of public charter schools in the state-sponsored retirement system.HFA (2/Title, B. Montell) - Make title amendment.